Lounge chair with leg rest



July 7, 1959 s. J. REPAICH 2,893,472

LOUNGE CHAIR WITH LEG REST Filed June 25, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l 22 l,les 2s July 7, 1959 s. J. REPAICH 2,893,472

LOUNGE CHAIR WITH LEG REST Filed June 25, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 8.

INVENToR STEVE I. REPAICH WM, M

ATTORNEYS 2,893,472 PatentedV July 7, 1959 LOUNGE CHAIR WITH LEG REST Steve J. Repaich, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Cali- Quilt Furniture Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California IApplication June 25,1956, Serial No. I593,462

Z Claims. (Cl. 155-106) This invention has to do with furniture construction and particularly with tilting lounge chairs.

-An object of the invention is to provide a tilting lounge chair construction embodying a hingedly mounted leg rest with novel and improved means for actuating the leg rest as the main chair seat is tilted.

More particularly it is an object to provide a chair having a tiltable seat frame with a two-part leg rest hingedly secured at the forward end portion of the seat frame together with novel linkage means for tilting the leg rest and expanding or contracting it in response to tilting movement of the seat frame.

.A further object is to provide, in a construction of the type indicated, a novel and simplified linkage means useful for the purpose above described and having other uses as well. p

A further object is to provide al relatively simple actuating construction which is easily manufactured and assembled. p

These and other objects will be apparent from the drawings and the following description. Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional View of the frame portion of a tilting lounge chair embodying the invention and shown in backward tilted position as on line 1 1 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but in upright position;

Fig. 3 is a partial plan view on line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on line 4 4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on line 5 5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on line 6 6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on line 7 7 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on line 8 8 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 9 is a front elevational view taken on line 9 9 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view on line 10 10 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. ll is a fragmentary view similar to Figs. l and 2 but with the chair tilted to an intermediate position.

More particularly describing the invention, numeral 11 generally designates a skeleton base frame or base of a chair and this is shown as comprising a generally rectangular frame at the bottom consisting of side members 12, a rear cross member 13 and a front cross member 14. At each side is a side frame consisting of the uprights 16 and 17 and a connecting upper member 18. The frame may be made of metal and when so made the parts may be welded together, bolted or otherwise secured. It will be understood that wood upholstery frame elements (not shown) are applied to the skeleton frame shown and upholstery applied thereover.

The base frame has a transversely extending tube 21 supported upon a pair of posts 22 which are welded to the frame elements 12 at each side. The tube 21 may be welded to the tops of these posts and is designed to tiltably support the seat frame, designated 25.

The seat frame includes a seat portion 26 and backrest 27. The seat portion of the seat frame comprises a pair I of side rails 30, a front rail 31 and a rear crossbar 32.

- 39 in ythe blocks.

The backrest 27 may be formed of a pair of side rails 34 connected by cross members 28 and the two frames may be secured together by welding and by a pair of brace rods 35.

The seat frame is secured to the tube 21 of the base for tilting movement thereon by means of two laterally spaced blocks 37 which are dependently adjustably mounted on the side rails 30 of the seat portion of the seat front by means of bolts 38 extending through slots notched at 37 to accommodate the tube 21 and an apertured plate 40 receiving the tube is attached to the block by screws 41. The above-described mounting is disclosed in my copending application for patent, Serial No. 552,528, filed December 12, 1955, entitled Furniture Construction.

The backrest frame may be provided with a transverse strap 45 which is welded to the side members 34. Welded to strap 45 at one end 47 is a short strap 46 which is secured at its other end by bolt 48 for the purpose of mounting an electrically driven vibrator of any suitable type designated 49. It will be apparent that the vibrator mounting is such that the entire seat frame may be vibrated as desired.

The particular feature of the invention is the provision of a novel leg rest, generally indicated 50, pivotally mounted at the forward portion of the seat frame, and novel means for actuating the leg rest in response to tilting movement of the chair seat frame. The leg rest includes a rear frame 51 and a forward frame 52. The rear frame has two parallel side members 54, a center member 55 and two connecting members 56 and 57. The forward frame consists of two rails, designated 58 and 59 which are spaced by blocks 60.

The forward frame is mounted for movement toward and away from the rear frame of the leg rest and for this purpose is provided with a pair of rods 62 which are telescopically received in tubes 64 mounted in the rear ame.

The rear frame is hingedly connected to the forward portion of the seat frame to swing about an axis which is spaced somewhat above the forward edge of the seat portion of the seat frame. For this purpose the seat frame is provided with a pair of forwardly and upwardly inclined hinge straps 68 which are welded to sides 30 of the seat frame. The rear frame of the leg rest is provided with a pair of hingedly secured hinge straps 70 which are pivotally connected to the straps 68 on pins 71, respectively. The straps 70 are somewhat U-shaped between their ends and extend from the ends of straps 68 down through the seat frame and around under the front rail 31 thereof.

For the purpose of pivoting the leg rest in response to tilting movement of the chair seat frame, I provide a linkage means at each side of the chair. Each of these comprises a bell crank which is pivotally mounted at 81 on mounting plate 82 depending from the side frame element 30 of the seat frame. One end of the bell crank is pivotally connected at 84 to a first link 85 which in turn is pivotally mounted upon the base at 86. The link 85 extends somewhat beyond the point of pivotal connection 84 to act as a stop and limit movement of the seat frame in a forwardly tilting direction as best shown in Fig. 2. A second link, designated 88, is pivotally connected at one end at 89 to the bell crank 80 and at its other end to the rear part of the leg rest at 90.

The lower edge of each block37 is Preferablylthe pivotalpoints of the various levers are providedbywrivets` 92,- (Eig. 6)l in sleeves-9?whichare rotatable in bores 94 in the connected elements. However, I prefer to so mount the bell cranks that there is some resistance' to JtheirI pivotal! movement;r therebyflprovidinglla brakingiaetionfupontheftilting movement of the f chair. Thus, referring-.to Fig.-7f,rI' show the belli crankl 80fpivotallyxmounted on abolt 95' andi spaced from` the bracket 82"bya washer 96 whichis'preferably formed of plastics. with washers 98 and a corrugated. or Marcelwasher 99 serve.rto"hold the .parts .together and' enable the' placementl off the required force against the parts 'thereby determin-4 ing the stiness of the pivotal action.

It'lwillbe apparent from the above descriptionandithe illustration ofthe. apparatus as shown-infFigs; 1,.2.and

l1, thatfwhen' theLseatfrarne isfinupright'positionsthe theseatfrarn'e` ist-tilted'backwardthe leg `rest is tiltedup-y wardly through the positionof Fig; l1.1 to that'of Fig; 1'.

Another 'featurefof `the invention is the means providedA for'expanding Yand contracting the parts of the: leg rest.'

ThisY is'accomplished by providing a pair of levers 104' pivotally mounted at'the points 10S'upon the rear'part-off theleg rest" frame. Theselevers are each pivotally c'on-A means and'at their otherV ends by short' links 107l to the fullyv extended' positionr of Fig. 1t

from tilted to upright position.

Although I have "illustrated andY described a? preferred form oflrny invention, .I'contemplate that various changes and'. modifications can be made:thereinwithoutdepartingfl A' nut 97 of the self-locking type:togetherf from the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the following--clairns-v I claim:

1. In a tilting chair construction, a base, a seat frame mounted on the base for tilting movement about a horizontal axis, a leg rest having a rear frame hingedly secured to the forward edge ofv said seat frame, a pair of bell cranks pivotally mounted on opposite sides of said seat frame, a`pair offnormally vertical firstlinls`-pivotally connected at their lower ends to opposite sides of said base and pivotally connected adjacent their upper.y ends to one of the ends of said bell cranks, said frst'links-having-vertical extensions at their upper ends in alignment with and adapted'toactiasabutmentseforopposite 'sides` of "said -seat frame whereby to A'equallyy support and limit forward tilting movement of the seat frame, and a second pair of links pivotally connected at their inner ends to the other ends of said bell cranks and pivotally connected at their '25 nected by links 106 to the second link 88 of tl'relinkage"` 2. A tilting chair: constructionlassetfforthinfclairn 1; in'- which-aV forwardhfrarnef is mountedf on thefrea'rf frame of'lsaid -Vle'g'- 'rest'formovement with respectlthereto in a'- pla'ne to'wardfandlaway-from said'rearI frarne,`a pair ofi Alevers pivotally mounted' intermediatetheir-'ends' ulgionftherv frarnefofsaid'leg rest, -althirdfp'air'oflinks connecting the inner` ends of A said 'lev'ers -to' an intermediate point on'-saidf secondlinks'- and means" linkingl the=other1ends ofisad'- levers.` to' theforw'ard frame! ofsaid leg-"rest, said bell cranks;saidlinks, s'aid'lleversx and? saidflink rr`1e'ans"-co'v operating upon tiltingIimovement-of saidiseat'frametd 

